Activists attack clown and king: McDonald’s, BK mascots under siege

It’s not easy being a fast-food restaurant mascot these days, it seems.

Both McDonald’s Ronald McDonald and Burger King’s The King have come under fire from activists groups in recent days.

A new Web site called RetireRonald.com compares the fiery-haired clown to cigarette mascot Joe Camel and beer pup Spuds McKenzie, saying that “no one has been better at hooking kids on unhealthy food, spurring an epidemic of diet-related disease.”

But McDonald’s told CBS News, “Ronald is the beloved brand ambassador for McDonald’s and we have no plans to retire him.”

Meanwhile, the King is under assault for an ad it ran recently depicting the mascot as “crazy” for wanting to sell burgers for such a low price. In the spot, the mascot is tackled and subdued by men in white medical-looking outfits.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health America objected, saying the ad perpetrates stigmas about people with mental illness.

The Washington Post quoted a statement from Burger King as saying, “The creative concepts used to bring this to life were meant to highlight the King’s unchecked enthusiasm about giving his guests a Steakhouse-quality sandwich at a great price and were not intended to reflect any group or situation.”

(Personally, I was also creeped out by BK’s new commercial of two Kings taking down a wrestler… I thought the janitor at the end was really weird. But that’s just me…)

What do you think? Do Ronald or the King need to go? Or should we leave fast-food mascots alone? Post a comment below.